“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’” –1 Samuel 7:12I heard a story once about a man who went for a hike, lost his footing and tumbled over the side of a cliff. Instinctively, he threw his […]
Grace and peace, friends. I pray this message finds you well! I was reading a devotional recently by the late pastor and writer Eugene Peterson. He was telling a story about vacationing with his wife and children and walking in the Yellowstone National Park. As they were hiking through a mountain meadow in Yellowstone, he […]
I had a friend tell me once about a problem he had with one of his kids when they visited the beach for summer vacation. He shared that the entire way spent driving to the coast, all his little boy could talk about was the one thing he wanted to accomplish while at the beach: […]
I was reading a story recently about a computer engineer and inventor named Danny Hillis who thinks all types of leaders should care more about the long term future. So what did he do about it? He invented a 10,000-year clock. He explains why: “I wanted to build a clock that ticks once a year. […]
In 1738, at the beginning of a new year, literary giant Samuel Johnson wrote the following in his diary: “Oh Lord, enable me to redeem the time which I have spent in sloth.” Nineteen years later, Johnson would record the following: “Oh mighty God, enable me to shake off sloth and redeem the time misspent […]
There’s a story attributed to author and poet Robert Louis Stevenson who was traveling once on a ship that found itself in a severe storm and in imminent danger of sinking. According to Stevenson, many of the passengers began to whisper to one another, “Are we going down? Are we safe?” After a few moments […]
Did you know that there was a recent study on “gratitude” called the “Count Your Blessings” study? It’s funny. When I read about this particular study, the lyrics of the old gospel hymn came flooding back to mind. In case you need a refresher, here’s the first verse and chorus: When upon life’s billows you […]
Sandra McCracken, an author, songwriter and modern day hymn writer, was recently interviewed by Christianity Today magazine and made an observation about a simple little button that I had never considered before. She shared the following: There’s a call button above every seat on commercial airplanes. In all my travels, I don’t think I have […]
The year was 1911 when Japanese marathon runner Shizo Kanakuri competed in the domestic qualifying trials for the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. Kanakuri set a marathon world record and, as a result, was selected as one of only two athletes that Japan could afford to send to the event that year. Imagine the surprise then when […]
And it begins. I’ve always loved the story of Simon Peter walking on the water. It certainly wasn’t in his plans, but on that early morning, amidst that storm that was rocking the boat, He saw Jesus walking on the water and Simon Peter’s ADHD took over. “Lord if it’s you, tell me to come […]
Nehemiah’s story is one of my favorites in the Old Testament. It’s an incredible story of leadership and what happens when you take God-sized steps towards a task that comes out of God-given convictions. In Nehemiah, you find God’s people returning to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon and, under his leadership, they rebuilt the city […]
Late one Friday afternoon, as a local church pastor was preparing his Sunday message in his home study, his little girl crept into the room and said, “Daddy, can we play?” On a deadline and deep in the “Sunday’s coming” process, he told his daughter, “I’m so sorry, sweetheart, but I’m busy right now. Tell […]
A friend was telling me recently about a trip he once made to see Niagara Falls, and an observation he made on that trip several years back really struck me. He said that his first glimpse of the falls occurred when he first arrived to his hotel and, looking out, he was amazed at its […]
A minister, late for a meeting located in a busy downtown office complex, parked his car in a no-parking zone because he was short on time and couldn’t find any available places to park. Before he rushed into his meeting, he put a note under the windshield wiper that read, “I have circled the block […]
I said to myself, “Just look at this great city of Babylon that I have created! I, by my own mighty power, have built this beautiful city for my glory. I built it to show my power, my might, my majesty, and my glory!” – Daniel 4:30 Pride is a sneaky little snake, isn’t it? […]